In this section

33. THE PRIORY OF HANDALE, OTHERWISE GRENDALE

This small nunnery, under the invocation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, was founded in 1133 (fn. 1)
by William Percy of Dunsley, in the parish of
Loftus-in-Cleveland.

The advowson of the priory was granted in
the reign of King John by Richard Percy to
Richard Malebisse and his heirs who were to
pay yearly to the convent 1 lb. of incense in
lieu of all services. (fn. 2)

The earliest allusion in the Archiepiscopal
Registers appears to be the appointment by
Archbishop Giffard of William de Bardenay,
monk of Whitby, as guardian of Handale and
Basedale nunneries, in 1267-8. (fn. 3) Just twenty
years later, Archbishop Romanus (fn. 4) wrote to the
Master of Sherburn Hospital near Durham asking him to admit Basilia de Cotum, one of the
nuns of Handale, who was stricken with leprosy,
and who for fear of contagion could not dwell
among healthy women.

On the Saturday after the feast of St. Michael
1315 (fn. 5) Archbishop Greenfield held a visitation
of the house, and the short series of injunctions
which he then issued are the only injunctions in
the Registers, as issued to Handale, and they are
in general terms almost identical with those
sent to Basedale at the same time.

On 13 May 1318 (fn. 6) Archbishop Melton
issued a commission to Thomas [de Mydelsburg],
rector of Loftus, to administer the temporal goods
of the Prioress and convent of Handale, to
receive the account of the servants, and to substitute more capable ones for those who were
useless, and to do whatever appeared to him to
be for the benefit of the house. On 12 January
1388 (fn. 7) the dean and chapter, sede vacante, issued
a letter on behalf of Handale, suffering from its
poverty, but with the exception of notices of
the election of prioresses, there is nothing of
importance in the Registers. Two of the records
of the election of prioresses (Joan Scott in
1504 (fn. 8) and Anne Lutton in 1532 (fn. 9) ) are significant as they expressly describe Handale as
belonging to the Cistercian order.

Of the external affairs of the house almost the
only item of interest that is known is a suit in
1301, (fn. 10) when John de Aslakeby and John
Etwatre of Yarm had to answer a complaint
made by Ivetta, Prioress of Handale, that they,
with certain other persons who are named, had
seized and imprisoned her at Yarm, and committed other misdeeds for which she claimed £40
as damages. It was not till 1 July 1303 that
the jury found for the defendants, and decided
that they had made no trespass on the prioress,
as she had alleged.

At the time of the Suppression (fn. 11) there were
ten nuns. It is noted that ' they all be of good
liffyng,' and against six of the names ' religion '
is written in the margin, indicating their desire
to continue in their vows. Joan Scott, the
late prioress, is second in the list, and after her
name is added 'act. 90 ˜t blynd.' At a subsequent period her name has been struck through
with a pen, and the word ' obijt ' written in the
margin. Anne Lutton the prioress was assigned
a yearly pension of £6 13s. 4d. Three of the
senior nuns received pensions of 33s. 4d., and
the five juniors 26s. 8d. each.

Handale is not included in the taxation of
Pope Nicholas. In 1527 (fn. 12) its clear annual
value was returned at £20, and in the Valor
Ecclesiasticus(fn. 13) at £13 19s. only. The alms
distributed weekly for the soul of Robert Percy,
who is called the founder, were two measures
(modios) of corn, and 3d. in money, amounting to
£4 9s. 2d.

When a return was made in 1553 (fn. 14) as to the
payment of the pensions to ex-religious, it was
stated that, as regarded Handale, Alice Brompton (16s. 8d.) mortua ut dicitur; Margaret Lowdham (33s. 4d.), Isabell Norman and Cecille
Watson (each 26s. 8d.) appeared with their
patents.

7. Ibid. Arundel (sed. vac.), fol. 9. In 1390 Boniface IX granted indulgences to those who on the
feast of the dedication visited and gave alms for the
conservation of the church and priory of Handale,
Cal. of Papal Letters, iv, 393.